1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an object detection device that detects an object such as an obstacle around a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the technology of monitoring the presence of an obstacle such as a preceding vehicle, a parked vehicle, or a pedestrian using a monitoring unit such as a radar device or a camera to perform inter-vehicle distance control and/or collision prediction control has been in practical use. In particular, in the case where a radar device is used as a monitor unit, when a vehicle is running on a road having a sidewall, such as a tunnel, a highway, or a road restricted to vehicles, it may happen that a radar wave reflected by the sidewall hits an obstacle, and is reflected again by the sidewall and received by the device. Consequently, the radar device as a monitor unit may erroneously detect the position of an obstacle or the like.
However, for instance, Japanese Patent No. 4930033 has disclosed a method of reducing occurrence of malfunction of a radar on the front lateral side by stopping its operation when a vehicle runs on a road having a sidewall, such as a highway or a road restricted to vehicles.